Pillow for Localized Support of the Head

ABSTRACT

An asymmetrically disposed pillow formed of tube-like construction provides an over ear arch with cervical support depending from the rear end of the arch. The arch includes an upper cranial support section that lies along a horizontal axis and fits above the ear. A rear end of the cranial support section connects to a depending occipital support section, which depends behind the ear. A lower end of the occipital support section connects to a cervical support section that is disposed at a forward angle that is less than a right angle. Optionally, the forward branch of the arch depends from the cranial support section as a temporal support section. Optionally, the temporal support section further depends as a cheek support.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention generally relates to beds and support devices for discreteportions of a user. More specifically, the invention relates to supportdevices for selected, localized portions of the head or neck of a userin a supine or prone position.

2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37CFR 1.97 and 1.98

A normal, rectangular pillow as commonly used for sleeping providesbroad support for the head. To a small degree, this type of pillow hasbeen customized for special needs. Different degrees of firmness allow aside sleeper to obtain a more firm pillow, while a back sleeper canobtain a less firm pillow, and a stomach sleeper can obtain a still lessfirm pillow. However, the normal pillow is not suited for relieving oreliminating pressure on sensitive areas of the head. Instead, the normalpillow provides a broad area of support, and it is difficult or nearlyimpossible to isolate certain areas of the head from contact whileotherwise supporting the head.

Pillows having various special shapes are known. For example, the donutshaped pillow is useful for allowing the user to lie face down. Thistype of pillow finds application on message tables, where the userdesires to lie face down with the head symmetrically disposed in acentered, forward looking position. Another special duty pillow iscontoured to the cheek, ear, and nose so as to relieve excess pressureand avoid facial wrinkling. This pillow is the subject of U.S. Pat. No.5,848,448 to Boyd. While it is possible to relieve pressure on aspecified facial structure or head structure by special pockets orrecesses in a foam pillow, not all situations can be met with thissolution.

Particularly after facial surgery, portions of the head and face areinflamed and extremely sensitive to pressure. It would be desirable tohave a pillow that is capable of supporting the head with substantiallyno pressure applied to the face or to areas of the head where certaintypes of surgical incisions are made. The present invention isspecifically directed to a pillow that allows a side sleeper toeliminate pressure on selected areas that are commonly inflamed andpainfully sensitive after facial surgery, such as facelifts and similaroperations. The pillow also is adaptable to relieving pressure on otherinflamed portions of the head, especially the ear, which otherwise tendsto be very difficult to isolate from pressure. Thus, the pillow hasadditional utility in relieving pressure on a sore ear. Those with anearache or swimmer's ear can find relief.

To achieve the foregoing and other objects and in accordance with thepurpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly describedherein, the method and apparatus of this invention may comprise thefollowing.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Against the described background, it is therefore a general object ofthe invention to provide a pillow capable of supporting the head in asuitable position for side sleep, while eliminating pressure on selectedportions of the face, cheek, ear, and proximate areas.

According to the invention, a pillow for facial surgery patients isformed of tube-like construction. Subsections are arranged in series andshaped to skirt the top, rear, and bottom periphery of the user's ear,forming an ear pocket with open front. An upper cranial support archlies along a horizontal axis and fits above the ear. A rear end of thecranial support section includes a depending occipital support sectionthat extends behind the ear. A lower end of the occipital supportsection connects to a cervical support section that is disposed at aforward angle that is less than a right angle.

According to another aspect of the invention, a tubular pillow isdisposed along a serpentine longitudinal axis that defines an ear pocketwith open front for localized support of the head and neck of a humanuser. An arch-shaped cranial support defines an arcuate top of the openear pocket for supporting the cranial portion of a user's head. Acervical support is connected to a rear end of the cranial arch supportbehind the ear pocket and extends downwardly and forwardly from the rearend of the cranial arch support for supporting a user's neck below theear.

According to still another aspect of the invention, an asymmetric pillowdefines an ear pocket with open front for localized support of the headand neck of a human user. An arch support bounds a top edge of the earpocket, and a cervical support depends from a rear end of the archsupport and extends forwardly and downwardly to support a cervical areaof the user's neck and bound a rear edge of the ear pocket.

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part ofthe specification, illustrate preferred embodiments of the presentinvention, and together with the description, serve to explain theprinciples of the invention. In the drawings:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is top plan view of a head-supporting pillow.

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, showing in phantom a representativehead overlaid on the pillow in typical position resting on the pillowfor side sleep.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the pillow, taken along the planethrough line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2, showing a second embodiment of thepillow supporting an alternate portion of the head to relieve pressureon a different area of the head.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention is a pillow 10 configured to support the human head in asuitable position and at a suitable height for side sleep. The pillow isformed of a shell or covering 12, which may be a fabric. The interior ofthe pillow contains a suitable means for supporting or cushioning thehead, which may be a fill 14.

Important features of pillow 10 are configuration and resting contoursshown in the drawing figures. Pillow 10 is configured inthree-dimensional structure as a tube-like or cylindrical rod-likestructure that is elongated along a serpentine, longitudinal axis 15,indicated by a broken line in FIG. 1. The configuration also isgenerally round in transverse cross-section at the majority of itslength along the longitudinal axis. Accordingly, the uncompressedcross-section of pillow 10, taken at almost any point, is similar to thecross-section shown in FIG. 3. This cross-section is shaped as a circle,oval, ellipse, or the like, providing a central longitudinal high pointor ridge 16 that generally overlies the position of longitudinal axis 15in the view of FIG. 1. The overall height of pillow 10 at high point 16,as viewed in FIG. 3, is about four inches. The fill 14 of pillow 10would be considered to be firm and should be sufficient to maintain aheight at high point 16 of between two and three inches, in use.

In use, the high point 16 becomes blended into a more flattened verticalcontour under the user's head. However, the overall tubular shaperestricts or contains the horizontal spread. The pillow 10 may beconsidered to be circular in transverse cross-section when uncompressed,with approximately a four-inch uncompressed diameter. When compressedduring use, the transverse cross-section may be considered to resemblean ellipse, and the typical major axis of the compressed ellipse isbetween five and six inches. This spread from about a four-inch diameterto about a six-inch major ellipse axis indicates that the pillowprovides concentrated support to the user's head without readily causingthe pillow to spread under selected sensitive areas of the head.

The contour of pillow 10 includes several support areas for the humanhead, best shown in FIG. 2. The first support area is the top, crown, orcranial support 18, which fits the user above his ear and extendsforward approximately to the temple of the head. The second, optionalsupport area is the rear cranial or occipital support 20, which fits theuser behind the ear. The third support area is the cervical support 22,which supports the upper cervical vertebrae of the neck, between thelower ear and shoulder. In some instances, the occipital support 20 maybe absorbed by the structures of the cranial and cervical support areas.The combination of two support areas, including a cranial arch and acervical support, provides a stable base that supports the head forsleep and provides latitude for head movement during sleep. Preferred,three-area support includes cranial, occipital, and cervical support.

The appropriate contour of pillow 10 not only supports the indicatedareas of the head and neck, but also circumnavigates the ear. Thus, anopen-front pocket 24 is available to receive the user's ear. When theear is in open pocket 24 as shown in FIG. 2, the front of cranial archsupport 18 and the front of cervical support 22 extend forward of theear, or to the right in the view of FIG. 2. These forward extremes liealong a theoretical connecting line that is nearly vertical or extendingbetween top and bottom according to the view of FIG. 2. The connectingline would pass in front of the ear. Thus, both cranial support 18 andthe cervical support 22 extend forward to a varying degree, to the rightin FIG. 2, beyond the front edge of the ear. In approximate dimensions,pillow 10 has a width, left-to-right in FIG. 2, of about eight inchesand a vertical dimension, top-to-bottom in FIG. 2, of about thirteeninches.

Using the directional conventions of FIG. 2 as specified in the priorparagraph, portions of the pillow can be described as extending incertain directions by considering the pillow to be formed of multiplesections of a bent tube following a centerline or longitudinal axis 15,FIG. 1. On this basis of description, cranial support 18 extendshorizontally or front-to-back from in forward of the user's ear positionto rearward of the ear position. Optional occipital support 20 extendsdownwardly or vertically from the rear end of the cranial support and isdisposed along the rear edge of the user's ear. Cervical support 22extends forward and downward from the bottom of occipital support 20 atan acute angle of less than ninety degrees. The preferred forward angleis approximately thirty degrees from vertical.

Because pillow is formed of a soft and pliable construction that issubject to easy deformation, these descriptions are approximations thatbest describe the pillow when undeformed by use. The contour of thepillow in resting or undeformed state provides a base line contour thatwill tend to be carried through during sleep.

Head movement on pillow 10 tends to be forward due to the supportprovided behind the ear. The open front of ear pocket 24 allows forwardmovement while protecting the ear from application of inadvertentpressure during sleep. In addition, the open front provides pressurerelief to areas of the face and jaw forward and below the ear.

An alternative embodiment of the pillow 10 appears in FIG. 4. Thisconfiguration provides increased support to the top of the user's headand forward to the temple and optionally the cheek. Accordingly, the topof the pillow forms a cranial arch that encompasses from the occipitalsupport to the forward end of the pillow tube. The arch further includesboth the cranial support 18 and a temporal support 26. The arch mayextend forward by a further portion, the orbital or cheek support 28.Both the temporal support and the orbital support areas preserve theopen front of ear pocket 24.

More generally, this alternative embodiment provides a cranial arch thatforms a top boundary of an ear pocket 24. The arch extends upwardly fromapproximately the mid-height of the ear pocket. The cervical supportdepends from the rear end of the arch, at the mid-height of the earpocket to support the user's neck. This configuration leaves open thefront side of the ear pocket and the area near the temporomandibularjoint (TMJ), which is located below the ear. The TMJ is notorious as asource of facial pain, and the pillow 10 effectively relieves the TMJfrom pillow pressure. In a similar way, use of pillow 10 may reduce thepainful symptoms of other conditions, including facial surgery, injuryto the face, sunburn, cystic acne, abscessed tooth, extraction of wisdontooth or other tooth, tooth ache, dental surgery, sinusitis or sinusinfection, trigeminal neuralgia, herpes zoster, herpes simplex, clusterheadache, and migraine headache.

The pillow is asymmetric in order to support the indicated portions ofthe human head with selectivity and reliability. The cylindrical,tubular or rod-like configuration of the pillow can be viewed as beingdisposed along a serpentine longitudinal elongated centerline axisindicated by a broken line 30 in the view of FIG. 4. The axis 30 formsan asymmetric U-shaped hook in which the forward arm, which is shown toterminate in cheek support 28, is shorter than the rear arm, whichterminates in cervical support 22.

The cylindrical, rod-like configuration of the pillow enables supportareas to be centered at narrow central ridge region 16 overlying axis 30of the cylindrical shape. The ridge region 16 can be viewed as lyingalong the longitudinal axis 30 of the tubular pillow. The axis 30 isasymmetric in overall contour, such that the pillow 10 can be likened toa hook or question mark in shape, forming an ear pocket with open frontin the direction of the user's face. This shape provides comfortablesupport and minimizes any need for movement to find a better restingposition. Accordingly, patients who have had facial surgery, a sore ear,or any of several other painful areas of the head are better enabled toobtain restful sleep.

The various fills 14 that are suitable for pillow 10 are known fills.Foamed plastic beads are a suitable choice. Feathers, down, or pilefills can be used. The view of FIG. 3 shows a fabric cover 12 over fill14. As an alternative, pillow 10 can be formed of molded foam material,memory foam, and other materials known to be suitable for use inpillows.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be regarded as falling within the scope of the invention.

1. An asymmetric pillow defining an ear pocket with open front forlocalized support of the head and neck of a human user, comprising: acranial arch support bounding a top edge of said ear pocket; and acervical support depending from a rear end of said cranial arch supportand extending forwardly and downwardly from the rear end of the cranialarch support to support a cervical area of the neck and bound a rearedge of the ear pocket.
 2. An asymmetric pillow according to claim 1,wherein: said arch support extends upwardly from about a mid-portion ofsaid ear pocket; and said cervical support extends downwardly from abouta mid-portion of said ear pocket.
 3. An asymmetric pillow according toclaim 1, wherein: said pillow is configured as a longitudinallyelongated tube disposed along a serpentine longitudinal axis.
 4. Anasymmetric pillow according to claim 3, wherein: said serpentinelongitudinal axis is hook-shaped, such that in use under a user's head,the hook shape defines said ear pocket in suitable position to bedisposed with open front facing forward toward the user's face.
 5. Anasymmetric pillow according to claim 1, further comprising: an occipitalsupport; wherein said arch support comprises a cranial support connectedat the rear end thereof to said occipital support; and the occipitalsupport interconnects said cranial support with said cervical support.6. An asymmetric pillow according to claim 5, wherein said occipitalsupport defines a rear edge of the ear pocket.
 7. An asymmetric pillowaccording to claim 5, further comprising a temporal support at a frontend thereof.
 8. An asymmetric pillow according to claim 7, furthercomprising a cheek support at a front end of said temporal support.
 9. Atubular pillow disposed along a serpentine longitudinal axis defining anear pocket with open front for localized support of the head and neck ofa human user, comprising: an arch shaped cranial support defining anarcuate top of said ear pocket for supporting the cranial portion of auser's head; and a cervical support connected to a rear end of saidcranial arch support behind the ear pocket and extending downwardly andforwardly there from for supporting a user's neck below the ear.
 10. Atubular pillow according to claim 9, wherein: said cranial supportextends upwardly from about a mid-portion of said ear pocket; and saidcervical support extends downwardly from about a mid-portion of said earpocket.
 11. A tubular pillow according to claim 9, wherein: saidserpentine longitudinal axis is hook-shaped, such that in use under auser's head, the hook shape defines said ear pocket in suitable positionto be disposed with open front facing forward toward the user's face.12. A tubular pillow according to claim 9, further comprising: anoccipital support to the rear of said ear pocket; wherein saidarch-shaped cranial support is connected at a rear end thereof to saidoccipital support; and the occipital support interconnects said cranialsupport with said cervical support.
 13. A tubular pillow according toclaim 12, wherein said occipital support defines a rear edge of the earpocket.
 14. A tubular pillow according to claim 12, further comprising atemporal support extending downwardly and forward from a front end ofsaid cranial support.
 15. A tubular pillow according to claim 14,further comprising a cheek support extending downwardly and forward froma front end of said temporal support.
 16. A tubular pillow according toclaim 9, wherein said serpentine longitudinal axis is disposed in agenerally hook-shaped configuration.